Morell Mushrooms?

[Buck Fever]

Anyone hunt for morell mushrooms here in MN If so, when do you normally start looking for them and where? Does it have to be a specific temp. outside before they start growing? A buddy of mine in Illinois is bragging to me that he found 60 today down there. I have yet to find any period, anywhere.

[sailordad]

i dont do it intentionaly

but i have found them in the woods during late turkey season(last two weeks)
usually by dead logs

[Bucksnort101]

I've heard people say when the Lilac trees start blooming is the time Morrell's start to sprout. I think warms temps and a good soaking rainfall were other things in the mix.
Seems Mid-late May are the times to really start looking.   Dead trees with the bark starting to peel are where most tell you to look. Been told that dead Elm's are the most productive? 
One thing to keep in mind is there are things called False Morells that are poisonous so be sure what you are picking are the good ones.

[sailordad]

you know the easiest way to tell the safe mushrooms

they are on your grocers shelves 

[Hightailit]

Sorry it took so long to read this post. I just started hunting morrells last year, was too late in the season. Lamont told me to look around dead elms, the good ones are hollow in the stem he said. A friend and I found some, I gave them all to her and she's still here so hollow stems are okay afterall. The trees were so decayed I couldn't identify them but there are a lot of live elms, hackberry and silver maple around there. We were on the river. Just remember hollow stems.

[BadShotDad]

I just saw this thread when it became active again. I plan to hunt morels this Spring- foraging has become as much a pastime as deer hunting (maybe more !gasp!).

Here's a nice summary about morels & false morels:
http://thegreatmorel.com/falsemorel.html

-BSD

[Tod_Becker]

Chris, I picked up a couple of books by Samual Thayer. Can't wait till spring to try out some very fresh food.

[The Gopher]

i've always heard dead elms too, and south facing hillsides?

[BadShotDad]

Tod,
I hope you enjoy them as much as I have! They are definitely a great start/addition to one's library. I have been in the habit of reading them this time of year and memorizing one or two plants for the upcoming season. Then I do not have to carry them around with me all the time.

My wife is coming around to this odd hobby of mine too. The 3 different jellies I made (apple butter, grape, & raspberry) were a good argument. Seeing some of 'the things you dig up' for sale at $7.99/lb. or $21/lb. were another good argument. The burdock and ramp soup, with a side of steamed nettles I made last May swung the deal So now, I am going to collect morels- she loves mushrooms.

Gopher,
I have heard dead elms too, and to look under the drip line of the branches. The south slope of a hill gives it a temperature boost, so you will often see a 'south slope' season, then a 'north slope' season to growing things. That, and moving an hour North or South, can change when things ripen by a week or two. This really helps with short-season foods like fiddleheads.

-BSD

[Bucksnort101]

I've been told to look in places that have had fire go through them.  Takes a couple years for them to start popping up.
I've only found one gigantic patch of Morels in several years of hunting them, unfortunately someone else found them first and all I found the the remaining stems!

[Hightailit]

Lamont told me edible Morrells are hollow